Under the guidance of director Dr. Daolin Tang, the research group focuses on basic, translational and clinical application research on damage-associated molecular patterns (DAMPs) signaling pathways. Inflammation is a fundamental response to infection and injury in all multicellular organisms. The danger hypothesis states that endogenous molecules (protein and non-protein) released during cell death or tissue damage can trigger inflammation in the absence of infection, collectively referred to as DAMPs. We are particularly interested in elucidating the molecular mechanisms underlying stress-induced cellular defense and cell death signaling in normal and cancer cells, and how release of DAMPs modulates immune responses in disease.

Our lab is using various approaches to explore this biology and develop new treatments with a focus on targeting tumor intrinsic factors such as genetic programs like the epithelial to mesenchymal transition that coordinate with infiltrating immune cells in enhance therapeutic resistance and assist distant spread.

The Brekken laboratory, located in the Hamon Center for Therapeutic Oncology Research, studies tumor-host interactions with a particular emphasis on extracellular matrix (ECM) and angiogenesis.